


here's to the nights we felt alive

by trustingno1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-26
Updated: 2012-10-26
Packaged: 2017-11-17 02:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/546418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trustingno1/pseuds/trustingno1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry kisses her next to the dying fire, kisses her with her well-worn copy of <i>The Tales of Beedle the Bard</i> clutched between them.</p>
<p>(set during DH).</p>
            </blockquote>





	here's to the nights we felt alive

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posting some older fics to AO3. Originally posted 16.10.2011
> 
> Written for the At The Close ficathon, for the prompt: Harry/Hermione | any war time | _If it's not forever, if it's just tonight. Oh it's still the greatest_
> 
> Title from Eve 6's _Here's to the Night_.

He kisses her next to the dying fire, kisses her with her well-worn copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ clutched between them (and when he'd imagined this, it was a Transfiguration, or Muggle Studies, or Potions text book she was holding, and he was wearing his Quiddith uniform, maybe, not the same pair of jeans he's worn all week, and her Gryffindor tie was done up neatly, and she laughed a little into his mouth, laughed as she said, softly, " _Harry_ ," as he pulled back, and she looked happy and shy and --

alive).

She does whisper his name, but it's _sad_ and _knowing_ , and her eyes are closed, her forehead creased. (And of course she knows. Of _course_. She is, no doubt, the cleverest witch of her age. She's known for a long time, but she's kept his secret, will keep this one).

"Hermione," he says, just as quietly. "Don't-"

This time, she kisses him.

: :

 

 

She lies back, the ground hard beneath them, the night air cold and heavy, and he kisses her; she touches his hips, his hair, the nape of his neck and kisses him back, over and over, and there isn't a lot he's sure about, these days, but this - _her_ \- he's always been certain of.

 

 

: :

 

He knows that soon - maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but _soon_ \- Ron will return, head bowed a little sheepishly, and while she won't forgive him quickly --

well. He knows Ron, and he knows _her_.

"Hermione," Ron'll say, tugging off his scarf, before losing nerve. "Got anything to eat? I'm bloody _starving_." She'll throw her book to the ground - " _Honestly_ , Ronald," - and storm off --

but not too far, because they think differently, these days

\-- and Ron'll turn to Harry, face drawn in confusion, and Harry will shrug back, all, " _Girls_ ", like they're fourth years again, like she's overreacting, like it's something that'll blow over before breakfast

(but he'll think, quite clearly, _Coward_ ).

 


End file.
